Form

Community Project Application

Throughout the Community Leadership Development Program, participants develop their competencies and skills in a number of areas to encourage community leadership in Niagara.

The cornerstone of the program is participation in an Experiential Learning Project with a Community Partner. In small teams of 3-5 people, our participants collaborate to support a local community not-for-profit organization in addressing a challenge or working on a project the organization has identified.

This learning activity benefits both our participants and the community organizations they work with.

Working as a team allows participants to:
➧➧ Apply the program learnings to a real situation in Niagara to become effective change leaders
➧➧ Develop an increased understanding of Niagara’s communities, people, and sectors
➧➧ Collaborate with a diverse group of community leaders
➧➧ Develop their personal community leadership acumen
➧➧ Gain an understanding of a local not-for-profit organization, learn about its role in supporting the local community, and understand the challenges and opportunities they face.

Community partners are critical to the success of this aspect of the LN Community Leadership Development program. Our participants represent a wide range of organizations in Niagara and come with a variety of skills. They are aspiring leaders who care about their community. Working collaboratively, our project teams can assist your organization in working through a challenge or project. Your organization will collaborate with a network of professionals who will:
➧➧ Bring fresh outlooks to your team and provide creative ideas for addressing your challenge or project
➧➧ Apply expertise from diverse professional backgrounds
➧➧ Community partners will ideally submit a challenge or project that:
➧➧ Will be addressed over a 6-8 month period (participants will begin during November 2025 and complete the bulk of the work by May 2026)
➧➧ Encourages participants to learn about the organization and community they are assisting

There is no fee to participate in the project for the agency/organization. Depending on the project type, costs may be incurred as the project progresses. Discussions on project type, deliverables and potential costs to the organization will take place at the beginning of the project with the LN participants, the agency lead and the Executive Director of Leadership Niagara.

Community Partners will be available to meet with the project teams to establish key strategic touch points over the course of the project. Partners will be available to respond to questions and will be able to meet either virtually or in person with the project team members.

Company Information

First name*

Last name*

Company name*

Website URL*

Street address*

City*

Postal code*

Job title*

Contact Email*

Phone number

Company Phone number*

Company Mission Statement*

Org Type*

Incorporated Charity or Non-profit (with provincial, national or international leadership/support)

Incorporated Charity or Non-profit with local Niagara leadership (without provincial, national or international leadership/support)

Non-Incorporated Community Society Organization (local community group)

Project Information

Please provide a detailed description of the project, including its objectives, scope, major timelines and expected deliverables? (This description will enable our participants to grasp the project’s requirements and align their work).
Please take into consideration, the projects will be assigned in November and wrap with Final presentation to the Program Advisory Committee and Board of Directors of Leadership Niagara in June. You may have deliverables outside of this but it needs to be outlined.*

What is the specific need and/or problem that your organization is looking to address through this project? (Understanding the underlying need and/or problem will help the project team contextualize the project and align their efforts accordingly to meet the organization’s expectations.)*

How will the success of the project be evaluated? (It’s important to define the criteria for evaluating the project’s success to provide the team with clear guidelines and enable them to work towards achieving measurable outcomes.)*

In what ways do you foresee the team’s work will impact your organization? (Understanding the potential impact of the participant’s contributions will help them see the value and significance of their involvement in the project.)*

What resources, guidance, and support will your organization provide to the team throughout the project? (It’s crucial to ascertain the level of support that the organization will offer, such as access to data, subject matter experts, and mentorship. This information will help both the team members and LN to assess the available resources and plan an approach accordingly.)*

How will participation in your project help LN Community Leadership Development participants to develop a greater understanding of your organization and its role in addressing issues in the Niagara community?*

What opportunities do LN Community Leadership Development participants have to adapt the solution design and decision making?*

Changes to the scope once submitted are not permitted without the Executive Director of Leadership Niagara's approval. By submitting this application you are agreeing to these terms. How will the organization handle scope creep?*

The Leadership Niagara project timeline is from November to May and graduation and project presentations in June. Please indicate below any significant events, milestones or deadlines for your organization that might relate to this challenge/project. Please define the events/milestones along with the aprox dates required and provide a description of each.*

You may use this area to provide any additional information that you feel may be relevant and pertinent information for the project or, for Leadership Niagara and its participants in choosing this project.*

Agreements:
By submitting this application you agree to the following, check the boxes to confirm

I understand that the information contained in this application will be provided to the participants of the program as part of the selection process. *

I hereby acknowledge that Leadership Niagara cannot guarantee that our Community Project proposal will be selected by the participants of the program, and, if it is I understand that any changes to the original scope of the project must be approved by the Executive Director of Leadership Niagara. *

By submitting this proposal, I understand and commit to ensuring that the project lead from our agency will be present at a learning day in the Fall. Your agency representatives will be expected to be available at times to be determined for the presentation and networking with the participants.*

Organization Executive Director - By checking this you are confirming that your Executive Director, President or CEO has agreed and is fully aware of the requirements and timelines of this project.*

Organization Board Chair - By checking this you are confirming that your Board Chair has agreed and is fully aware of the requirements and timelines of this project.*

Please provide the direct contact information both phone and email for your Executive Director and Board Chair so that Leadership Niagara's Executive Director may verify the information provided.*

This information is only to ensure that the employee submitting this form has the authority to do so, can act on behalf of the organization, and to verify/ensure expectations are aligned between both organizations.

Submission deadline is September 13th 2025 - For more information or to confirm receipt of your application you can email info@leadershipniagara.ca